Private schools in Sharjah have demonstrated exceptional ability to swiftly and effectively transition to remote learning in response to the decision of the local emergency crisis and disaster management team due to the recent weather conditions in the country. This reflects the high efficiency and advanced digital infrastructure of educational institutions in the emirate, allowing for an immediate transition without compromising the quality of educational services provided to students. 

Schools have diligently continued to deliver lessons to students using their digital platforms, affirming their immediate response to decisions made by the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of students and the continuity of the school day in line with educational plans.

Sharjah Private Education Authority held a series of meetings with relevant stakeholders, including school administrations, following the announcement of the expected impact of the weather disturbance on the country. This resulted in the formulation of decisions and mechanisms that enabled them to be fully prepared to deal with various scenarios. They promptly acted upon the onset of the situation, coordinating and effectively communicating with partners to transition to remote learning and monitor all subsequent developments, which led to the extension of online learning to safeguard the security and safety of all members of the school community.

SPEA emphasized that the smooth transition was made possible through the sustainable investment policies adopted by the UAE in its technological infrastructure since the COVID-19 pandemic. It noted a progressive approach in maintaining the gains of remote learning and continued to implement a series of practical training courses to empower teaching bodies and students to make optimal use of remote learning technologies, praising the collaboration shown by all school administrations, teaching bodies, and parents as partners in the education system.

SPEA also added that according to closely monitored developments regarding the exceptional weather conditions and considering the circumstances of parents, students, and school administrative and teaching bodies in the schools, and in consultation with the Sharjah School Principal’s Council, partners, and the local emergency and crisis committee, private school administrations were granted flexibility in choosing the education system - in-person, remote, or hybrid - from Tuesday, April 23 to Thursday, April 25, to ensure the readiness of schools and surrounding areas to receive students and teaching staff after the recent weather conditions. The choice of attendance was made flexible and based on surveys distributed to parents to select the education system according to their circumstances.

The number of schools that adopted hybrid learning during the past week reached 17 schools, while 91 schools opted for remote learning, and 20 schools resumed in-person classes. This was after school administrations chose the optimal system according to their circumstances.

His Excellency Ali Al Hosani, Director of the Sharjah Private Education Authority, stated that SPEA maintained continuous communication with the local emergency crisis and disaster management team, concerned authorities, school administrations, and staff to reach solutions ensuring the safety of students and staff, considering it a priority for SPEA. He pointed out that the prompt response shown by all private schools in Sharjah reflects their ability to use technology to ensure educational continuity and achieve the highest levels of academic performance, noting that these measures contributed to enhancing the confidence of parents and students in the education system.

His Excellency Al Hosani extended sincere thanks to His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Alqasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, for his support of the educational and scientific renaissance. He also expressed gratitude to all schools, their administrative and teaching staff, parents, and students for their cooperation and commitment, as reflected in attendance rates. He also thanked all government and private institutions that contributed to expediting the recovery from this exceptional situation, reaffirming SPEA’s commitment to improving and developing the education system to keep pace with the latest developments. 

The Inspection and Compliance Department reported that a collaborative action plan was implemented, including conducting regulatory visits to private educational institutions to monitor the situation and challenges faced by schools and their necessary requirements. It mentioned that 103 inspection visits were completed, encompassing schools and nurseries, and reports were submitted to SPEA’s leaders containing the necessary needs and basic requirements for the safe and stable return of school environments, confirming that all decisions made before, during, and after the weather disturbance aimed at ensuring the safety of students and staff and ensuring educational continuity. It stated that regulatory visits resulted in identifying the need for some educational institutions to drain accumulated rainwater and fill excavations resulting from the weather disturbance. Additionally, some schools requested temporary road paving and the restoration of electricity supply. Accordingly, concerned authorities in the emirate were contacted to take immediate action and respond to their requirements.

Immediate Response
Ms. Majd Madi, Principal of the American School of Creative Science, and Chairperson of the Sharjah Private School Principal’s Council, stated that the decisions issued took into account the factor of safety while ensuring the continuity of the teaching and learning process. She revealed the role of the council during the rainy period, which involved evaluating conditions in various schools, providing feedback to Sharjah Private Education Authority, and expressing opinions on the continuity of education, whether in-person, hybrid, or remote. The council held several meetings to discuss the overall situation and presented recommendations to SPEA. She also mentioned that the assessment of schools was a natural outcome of effective communication by SPEA with all schools through daily surveys and field visits to assess the infrastructure and gather accurate information, which facilitated informed decision-making. She spoke about their readiness to receive students by conducting daily inspections of school buildings, addressing any issues arising from the weather disturbance, and ensuring complete drainage of water accumulations.

Dr. Raed Abdulla, Principal of the Taryam American Private School and Executive Committee Member of the Sharjah Private School Principal’s Council, discussed raising the school's level of preparedness and readiness for the return of its students to classrooms. He mentioned conducting inspections of the school building after the weather conditions to ensure the absence of electrical faults or water accumulation. He also praised the awareness initiatives aimed at informing students, teachers, and parents about the necessary procedures to minimize risks and maintain everyone's safety. He mentioned that to ensure a realistic safe return for students, an assessment of the damages incurred by schools was conducted, and necessary measures were followed to ensure the safety of the infrastructure. This included thorough examination of facilities to detect any faults and ensure the safety of the electrical system, repairing any faults, and providing schools with safety equipment. Additionally, staff and students were trained on safety procedures and how to act in emergencies.

Tariq Ismail, Principal of Manarat Al Sharjah School and a member of the Sharjah Private School Principal’s Council, affirmed that the teaching staff and students possess high levels of skills in employing information and communication technologies, electronic programs, and various learning platforms in the educational process. He noted that smart education in the country has become a polished skill among all members of the educational community, with electronic infrastructure and its requirements becoming essential in all educational institutions. He explained that the school has a team of technical specialists for technical support operations to ensure the sustainability of technical services for all.He added, "Administrative, technical, and academic members of the school team were distributed to monitor the quality of educational performance across the network and its platforms, and to sustain its services to achieve the desired goals."He also mentioned SPEA’s keenness to monitor and evaluate readiness operations of schools from all aspects, which had a positive role in the smooth transition and ensuring the availability of all educational resources for all educational institutions.

Smooth Transition and Continuous Coordination of Parents
Parents agreed that the schools' preparations were at a high level, enabling them to continue their work without interruption. Lina Bashir Zandan, a parent of a student at the Taryam American Private School, mentioned that the schools' preparations were excellent to face the weather conditions, with constant coordination between the school and the Parent-Teacher Association to ensure that the school day progresses as planned. She emphasized the important role of parents in providing a suitable atmosphere for the student at home. 

Mona Saeed Al Zaabi, a parent of three students at the American School of Creative Science, stated that one of the most positive experiences they gained was the skills of adaptation and flexibility, as families learned to adapt to rapid changes and flexibly face different challenges, dealing with them in a constructive and positive manner. She praised the efforts made by teachers and students at her children's school to achieve the continuity of remote learning amid exceptional weather conditions, which practically extended from the classroom learning experience. From her experiences, she said that the recent years witnessed an escalating development of the distance education system in state schools, where digital transformation enhanced schools' readiness to face challenges posed by exceptional weather conditions. This, along with teachers' interaction through virtual classrooms and providing suitable educational means for remote learning, contributed to the continuous educational process without interruption.